Muten Natsu... really had grown up.
Rukia Kuchiki had never imagined she would realize Muten Natsu's growth in a way like this.
What exactly... was he trying to do?
Rukia Kuchiki did her best to steady her breathing, not wanting Muten Natsu to realize that she was already awake.
But... if she did not do something, things were going to head in a very dangerous direction.
Feeling the warmth of his hand gently stroking her back, Rukia Kuchiki felt her face growing hotter and hotter.
Muten Natsu's hand moved in an almost teasing way, brushing close and then away. It paused at her waist for a moment, then started to move farther.
No... stop... you cannot...
Rukia Kuchiki let out a soft little sound and pretended she was just about to wake up, shifting her body slightly.
Muten Natsu stopped immediately, and Rukia Kuchiki quietly let out a breath of relief.
But only for a moment.
The next instant, his large hand started moving again.
What am I supposed to do...?
Rukia Kuchiki muttered vaguely and kicked the blanket twice, trying to use that movement to warn Muten Natsu not to do anything reckless.
But... it seemed to have had the opposite effect.
Muten Natsu's hand slid behind her knee, lifted her little foot, and then closed around it.
His hand really was huge.
It completely wrapped around Rukia Kuchiki's foot.
In a daze, Rukia Kuchiki heard once more the howl of wind and snow from that day. In that half collapsed shack, Muten Natsu had undone his patched clothes, wrapped her feet inside them, and warmed them against his chest.
That had been when they were children, but now Muten Natsu had grown up.
He wanted more.
One hand holding Rukia Kuchiki's foot and the other wrapped around her small body, Muten Natsu's breathing gradually drew closer, his warm breath drifting around her ear.
He... he wants to... do what?
Rukia Kuchiki instinctively held her breath. She had never expected Muten Natsu to do something like this while she was asleep.
To be honest, Rukia Kuchiki was not actually opposed to what Muten Natsu was doing.
But... it should not be like this.
Muten Natsu should not be secretly doing something like this while she was completely defenseless.
Rukia Kuchiki herself had held back. She had not stolen a kiss from Muten Natsu while he was completely off guard.
So why could Muten Natsu not hold back too?
Something like this should be done when both people were awake, so they could properly enjoy it together.
What was this supposed to be now?
...How annoying.
At the very least, it should be when I am awake...
"Rukia..." Muten Natsu's voice by her ear made Rukia Kuchiki's body stiffen involuntarily. "You are awake already, right?"
He noticed?!
Rukia Kuchiki felt the hand holding her foot tighten slightly. Muten Natsu's low voice sounded beside her ear, carrying his warm breath with it. "I can tell. Your breathing got uneven."
Was it... really that obvious?
Rukia Kuchiki did not want to admit it, so she stubbornly kept her eyes shut.
And because her eyes were shut, her other senses seemed to become even sharper.
Rukia Kuchiki could feel the pulse in Muten Natsu's palm.
"I have always wanted to do this, but... it is not right."
So you do know it is wrong! Rukia Kuchiki wanted to kick him.
"This kind of thing should be done when both of us are awake, so we can enjoy it better."
Then what are you doing right now?!
"So, if you are already awake, open your eyes." Muten Natsu whispered by her ear. "If you are not awake..."
The hand holding Rukia Kuchiki's little foot let go.
The turmoil in Rukia Kuchiki's heart finally settled, but what rose in its place was an even more complicated and indescribable feeling.
There was relief that Muten Natsu had pulled back at the edge, but also frustration that he had stopped halfway... How was she supposed to open her eyes at a time like this?
Rukia Kuchiki grumbled inwardly, then realized that Muten Natsu beside her was not doing anything else at all. His breathing gradually grew long and even. He was actually falling asleep.
How can you fall asleep at a time like this?!
Rukia Kuchiki wanted to glare at him.
Having finally found a perfectly good excuse, Rukia Kuchiki tried to open her eyes.
...Huh?
Her brows drew together slightly. She tried hard to open her eyes, but no matter what, she could not do it.
What is wrong with my eyes?
Panic surged through her. Rukia Kuchiki tried to reach out and push Muten Natsu, only to discover that her hand would not move either.
What on earth is going on?
Could something be wrong with my body!?
Right. Her sister's body had problems, so maybe her own body also had some hidden problem.
And now that problem had suddenly erupted, robbing her of control over her body.
Was she going to spend the rest of her life like this?
Able to hear everything, yet unable to do anything at all.
An indescribable fear welled up from the bottom of her heart. Rukia Kuchiki opened her mouth and tried to call out, but all that came out were vague, meaningless sounds.
No... not like this... absolutely... not!
Rukia Kuchiki tried to burst out with her spiritual pressure, forcing her mouth open wider, struggling to turn those blurred sounds into real words.
"Muten... Muten!" She finally cried out, suddenly opening her eyes.
The warm sunlight filtering through the curtains filled her with indescribable joy. She could finally see again... Huh?
Rukia Kuchiki blinked, and the scene inside Muten Natsu's room came into view.
She tried moving her fingers, and there was not the slightest stiffness.
That just now... was a dream.
Rukia Kuchiki finally came back to herself, and then suddenly felt the body around her tighten.
"What is wrong..." Muten Natsu's sleepy voice murmured by her ear. He was not fully awake yet, but his body was already skillfully pulling Rukia Kuchiki tighter into his arms. His warm, large hand rubbed gently over her head. "Did... ahh..." He yawned. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"...Mm." Rukia Kuchiki answered softly. She rubbed her little face against Muten Natsu's chest. "I dreamed about you."
"Mmh... Huh?" Muten Natsu finally woke up a little more. "Do I count as a nightmare?"
"It was a nightmare with you in it..." Rukia Kuchiki corrected quietly, her face flushing as she buried it in Muten Natsu's chest.
What you think about in the day appears in your dreams at night.
The reason she had that kind of dream was not because Muten Natsu would actually do such a thing, but because she hoped he would...
How could that possibly be!
How could she possibly hope Muten Natsu would do something like that?
How could she...